127. Telling Stories to Enrich Learning with Wesley Della Volla

We know that storytelling is a sure way to engage learners and hook them. Students need to want to learn if they’re going to retain the information. And immersing them in stories is a vital tool to humanize experiences, especially now as technology has changed and distanced many aspects of life and learning.

Building on technology and immersive learning is creating cutting edge opportunities for learning and engagement. This week on the podcast, we learn from an expert in storytelling and extended reality, the umbrella term that includes virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality.

Wesley Della Volla  is sharing his expertise as a National Geographic storyteller and adjunct lecturer in encouraging learning, engaging with audiences, making VR more accessible, and creating an environment where it’s okay to make mistakes.

This episode is a refreshing conversation that supports the idea that technology is just one piece of the puzzle.

The founder of Meridian Treehouse, Wes is a visionary, educator, and master dot connector. Whether transforming National Geographic’s Grosvenor Auditorium into the largest, permanent virtual reality theater in the world or winning Emmy, National Press Photographers Association, and Webby awards for his innovative storytelling, Wesley pushes the boundaries of what is possible. He also shares his expertise at the intersection of education and entertainment as an adjunct lecturer in Georgetown University’s Environmental Studies Department and Resident Immersive Experience Innovator at the Harvard University Innovation Lab.

• [2:15] - Who is Wes Della Volla
• [3:36] - What brought Wes to use his expertise in education
• [5:45] - When you see 450 people get excited, that’s when you know immersive learning is something special
• [6:24] - Immersive learning 101 and how it ties into schools
• [7:58] - Where is learning going with VR learning
• [11:03] - So much potential to add to the richness of the world around you
• [12:37] - Immersive learning shouldn’t exist in vacuum
• [13:35] - What issues do we need to consider as XR learning becomes more available so it’s accessible and inclusive for everyone
• [18:18] - Stop using $5 words when a $2 works just fine
• [19:37] - There’s science misunderstanding because it’s been so closed off
• [20:58] - Humans have been trying to share our stories for as long as we’ve been around and it’s evolved over time
• [23:22] - It’s our responsibility as educators to remember we don’t need the most expensive technology
• [26:43] - How to be part of the tide
• [28:00] - It’s okay to not be the smartest person in the room
• [29:25] - Students and teachers should learn from one another
• [30:27] - Turbo Time 
• [36:29] - Learning happens when you’re comfortable making mistakes
• [37:08] - Wes’s Magic Wand
• [41:57] - Maureen’s Takeaways 

• Meridian Treehouse
• Virtual Moonwalk
• Expedition Palau
• “Introduction to Learning in the Metaverse”
• Email Maureen

• Maureen’s TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools

• The Education Evolution
• Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
• Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
• LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
• EdActive Collective
• Maureen’s book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids

• Micro-school feature on Good Morning America
• The Micro-School Coalition
• Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition
• LEADPrep